Senior Operations Research Analyst

Aether Aerospace; Newport News (VA); On-site; USD 175,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Aether Aerospace seeks a Senior Operations Research and Systems Analysis (ORSA) to lead analytical design, evaluation, and interpretation of modeling and simulation studies for a six-month effort supporting a commercial client in military capability assessment.

The analyst will develop study methodologies, establish measures, design scenarios, analyze results, and translate findings into actionable conclusions for customer decision-making, requiring strong quantitative skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a quantitative field with 10+ years in ORSA or modeling and simulation.
• Experience designing and executing comparative studies using simulations or quantitative methods.
• Strong knowledge of experimental design, statistical inference, uncertainty and sensitivity analysis.
• Proficiency with Python, R, MATLAB and Excel for analysis and reporting.
• Ability to translate domain knowledge into explicit assumptions and analytical requirements.
• Experience communicating findings to technical and executive audiences.

Responsibilities

• Develop analysis plans with study questions, hypotheses, measures, and criteria for interpretation.
• Translate objectives into defined scenarios and measurable outcomes with SMEs.
• Establish baselines and design controlled comparisons to isolate effects.
• Create experimental designs including replication, sensitivity, and uncertainty handling.
• Coordinate with staff to define inputs, outputs, event records, and data requirements.
• Assess model representations and data gaps; ensure credible estimates.
• Analyze mission metrics such as time to completion, success probability, and losses.
• Differentiate outcomes and prevent unsupported conversions between them.
• Develop automated workflows to ingest, clean, and process simulation outputs.
• Provide analytical reports and executive briefings with clear significance.
• Collaborate with SMEs to interpret mechanisms and drive conclusions.
• Support reviews and propose further data collection or follow-on studies.

Skills

Simulations

Experimental design

Quantitative analysis

Stakeholder collaboration

Technical reporting

Active Secret Clearance

Education

Bachelor’s degree in operations research, mathematics, statistics, engineering, systems analysis, or related quantitative discipline

Master’s degree in operations research, statistics, engineering, or related field (preferred)

Tools

Python

R

MATLAB

Excel

Job description

Start Date: Immediate

JHNA, CTSi, and EXPANSIA have come together to form a Defense Technology platform focused on delivering high-impact technologies, technology-enabled services and advanced manufacturing solutions to the U.S. Department of Defense and related national security customers. Backed by Falfurrias Management Partners, the platform brings together deep domain expertise across Army, Navy, and Air Force and Space Force programs, digital engineering, systems integration, and specialized manufacturing capabilities.

The combined organization operates as a multi-entity aerospace and defense technology and tech-enabled services and manufacturing enterprise positioned for scalable growth, operational excellence, and long-term value creation.

OVERVIEW

Full-time

Location: The ideal candidate will be local to the Tidewater/Newport News, VA area.

Aether Aerospace is currently seeking a Senior Operations Research and Systems Analysis (ORSA) to lead the analytical design, evaluation, and interpretation of modeling and simulation studies assessing military capabilities and mission outcomes over a six-month effort in support of a commercial client. The analyst will develop study methodologies, establish measures, design comparative cases, analyze simulation results, and translate findings into clear conclusions for customer decision-making. The position requires strong quantitative analysis skills and the ability to explain the significance and limitations of modeled results.

The analyst will work closely with the Study Lead, simulation technical staff, and operational subject matter experts. Operational SMEs will provide mission context and inform scenario assumptions; simulation technical staff will implement and execute scenarios. This position will establish analytical requirements and lead evaluation of the resulting data.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop analysis plans identifying study questions, hypotheses, comparison cases, measures of effectiveness and performance, analytical methods, and criteria for interpreting results.
• Work with operational SMEs to translate customer objectives into defined scenarios, mission success criteria, and measurable outcomes.
• Establish consistent baselines and design controlled comparisons that isolate the effects of the capabilities being evaluated.
• Develop experimental designs, including replication strategies, sensitivity cases, and treatment of input uncertainty and observed run-to-run variability.
• Coordinate with simulation technical staff to define required inputs, output fields, event records, and data collection requirements.
• Assess whether model representations and available evidence support proposed measures; identify data gaps and outcomes that cannot be credibly estimated.
• Analyze mission completion time, mission success probability, personnel and platform losses, threat effectiveness, and resource expenditure where supported by the model and approved data.
• Distinguish modeled exposure, damage, mission kills, and casualties; prevent unsupported conversions between these outcomes.
• Evaluate uncertainty, convergence, and sensitivity to key assumptions and scenario conditions.
• Develop and maintain scripts and automated workflows to ingest, clean, validate, combine, and process simulation outputs; calculate study measures; and generate repeatable analytical summaries and visualizations using Python, R, MATLAB, Excel, or comparable tools.
• Support model verification and assessment of fitness for the intended analytical purpose, including review of pilot runs, anomalous results, and consistency across comparison cases.
• Maintain traceability from source data and assumptions through scenarios, simulation outputs, analytical findings, and conclusions.
• Prepare analytical reports, visualizations, and executive briefings that communicate results and their practical significance.
• Collaborate with operational SMEs to interpret the mechanisms driving favorable, neutral, and unfavorable outcomes.
• Support customer reviews, resolve analytical comments, and recommend further data collection or follow-on studies.

KEY QUALIFICATIONS

Clearance: Active Secret Clearance

Education & Years of Experience: Bachelor’s degree in operations research, mathematics, statistics, engineering, systems analysis, or a related quantitative discipline. Ten or more years of relevant experience in operations research, quantitative systems analysis, mission effectivenessassessment, or modeling and simulation analysis. Equivalent combinations of advanced education and directly relevant experience will be considered.

• Demonstrated experience designing and executing comparative studies using simulations or other quantitative analytical methods.
• Strong working knowledge of experimental design, statistical inference, uncertainty assessment, sensitivity analysis, and interpretation of repeated simulation runs.
• Proficiency with one or more analytical programming environments, such as Python, R, or MATLAB, and experience using Excel for analysis and reporting.
• Experience developing measures of effectiveness and performance tied to study objectives.
• Ability to work with subject matter experts to translate domain knowledge into explicit assumptions, analytical requirements, and defensible interpretations.
• Ability to evaluate source credibility, document assumptions, recognize model limitations, and distinguish evidence from inference.
• Demonstrated ability to produce clear technical reports and communicate quantitative findings to technical and executive audiences.
• Ability to handle study information in accordance with applicable contractual, security, and export-control requirements.

PREFERRED ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

• Master’s degree in operations research, statistics, engineering, or a related quantitative discipline.
• Experience supporting defense capability assessments, acquisition studies, mission analysis, or operational test and evaluation.
• Experience analyzing outputs from constructive simulations.
• Experience developing automated data processing, statistical analysis, and visualization workflows.

$175,000 - $190,000 a year

Salary: $175,000–$190,000 a year

Anticipated pay at 6 months is $63,000–$68,400 based on hours planned, with the potential for up to 25% additional hours

(This position is anticipated to support a six-month project, with approximately 31.2 hours per week (748.8 total planned hours). Both W-2 employment and 1099 independent contractor arrangements will be considered, subject to applicable requirements. The anticipated duration may be extended based on project needs and continued funding.

Compensation will be based on the agreed-upon employment or consulting arrangement, relevant experience, and applicable contract requirements. The annualized salary figure is provided for reference and does not represent guaranteed earnings for the six-month assignment.)

Aether Aerospace is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other protected characteristic.